This is another Tippco vehicle. This is intended to represent a half track prime mover, a vehicle intended to tow artillery. These were made between 1937 and 1942. Tippco struggled to get support/materials to continue manufacturing after the outbreak of war but they were well known pre-war for the quality and detail of their models. This example has chain rear tracks. It is missing a rear spare wheel and its key which sends me off to the internet to resolve. Update: found a key. Now just need the wheel. Updated Update: found the wheel. Shit I am awesome at Google.

In the great tradition of “a serviceman and his backpay are soon parted” we bring you tiny novelty underwear. As the demobilisation of the US Forces got underway from September 1945 these troops, soldiers, sailors and airmen were shipped through a small number of West Coast ports on their way back through the system and ultimately home to civilian life. Along the way enterprising merchants attempted to siphon as much of the serviceman’s demob pay as possible and this little item is just one example of the methods they used. I find it kinda interesting because beyond the obvious puns being used here, it also plays to the fear of the cuckold and the “Dear John” letter that servicemen endured.

The Hausser toy company was a well known and prolific producer of tin military toys in Germany, both during and immediately after WW2. This example is the third type Hausser Flak 36, manufactured during the war and up until about 1950. This one is post-war as evidenced by its olive green paint job. The same model made during the war was painted in a drab grey. The earlier models varied in their paint schemes as well as the method of attachment for the transport dollies. In this example they are attached using a screw tensioner. The gun has a receptacle for a contact cap and a working trigger.

This is an Arnold tin clockwork submarine. Manufactured in 1938 for the German market it is obviously a U-Boat. Note the swastika on the conning tower. It is missing its key and guy wires but is otherwise functional. Post war the Arnold company made this same toy but with the swastika swapped for an American white star. This was sold to U.S. servicemen for their children. The Arnold company stopped making boats in 1950.

U-Boat KapitänLeutnant Joachim Schepke gives an Arnold company U-29 to Horst Plenk, son of the renowned German skier Toni Plenk. From Signal Magazine 1941.

The Tippco Toy Company made these vehicles between 1934 and 1939. Tippco was a German-Jewish owned company whose owner was forced to sell for pfennigs on the reichsmark and emigrate to England. This one is called a Kübel and tows a Pak-36 AT Gun. The crew is made of Elastolin. The engine still winds and it has a forward and reverse gear and steerable wheels. Makes me want to go and invade Miniature Poland.

The German Hausser Toy Company made a series of lead figures to go with its range of tin clockwork army vehicles and guns throughout the period of the Third Reich. From 1934 until 1938 these were manufactured from lead, as the ones pictured here are. After the outbreak of war lead was controlled so the company switched to Elastolin which is a mix of wood waste and resin. I bought these with a Hausser Kübel but the set was missing the driver. I found replacements but the new set was an Elastolin version.